Mark Twain's, "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn," has been controversial since it was released in 1884. Huck Finn has been everything from the rise of American literature to a racist novel. Huck Finn's biggest controversy comes within high school classrooms and its use of the "n-word". The book's use of the "n-word" leaves many people wondering exactly what Twain's intentions were for writing such a popular novel. To some people, the language and style used by Mark Twain is offensive, while others might see it inspiring. Huck Finn was designed to portray the realist aspect of life.Twain intended to make The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to satirize life in the South and the change from slavery to equality. Huck Finn is a perfect example of our abhorrent past, and for that reason, it should be a book that is not ignored in the classroom. .
Huck Finn should definitely be used for an educational purpose because Twain used it to show us that a black and white person could work together in order to achieve a common goal during the time. In his novel, Twain uses the "n-word" in casual dialogue "as a way to underscore the chilling truth about the old South, that it was a society where perfectly "nice" people didn't consider the death of a black person worth their notice." (Salwen) Huck Finn starts out believing that slavery is a part of the natural order, but as the story goes on, Huck wrestles with his conscience, deciding that he would rather be "damned to the flames of hell rather than betray his black friend." (Salwen) The book is nothing less than freedom and a quest in finding freedom. Students should be able to read Huck Finn in a classroom environment because education "should not always be painless." (Chadwick-Joshua) Issues of sexuality, race, politics, and religion frequently come up in literature. When these subjects are brought up, many people feel under "attack" by the topic.
